Salt in Vanilla
by tsunderegirl99
Summary: It all starts when Misaki drops the bomb on Sunday morning. "I wonder if Rittan slept well last night?"


**Disclaimer: I do not own Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo or any of its characters.**

**A/N: Yahallo! I am back! First, thank you all for the wonderful response to my first fanfic. I hope I can write better in the future! This one is a Ryuunosuke/Rita fic! I love Ryuunosuke...who is so tsundere! Today is the 23rd, my birthday, and so I am treating myself to this fanfic. I hope you all can enjoy it!**

**Btw...have any of you ever noticed how similar Ryuunosuke is to Toshiro from Bleach? Same for Rangiku and Rita! Just saying...! Carry on with the fic!**

**… … … … … … … … … …**

**Salt in Vanilla**

It all starts when Misaki drops the bomb on Sunday morning.

"I wonder if Rittan slept well last night?"

… … … … … … … … … … …

Do you know the feeling you get when you feel as if you have seen something you shouldn't have?

No words better than those could describe how Akasaka Ryuunosuke felt right now.

And what is the reason behind this feeling, you may ask?

That would be, the contents of the envelope, strewn upon the table, visible to his horror-filled eyes.

He would have noticed the pictures beside the piece of paper, as well, had his mind not been frozen on the first line of the letter.

"_ Ms. Rita_ _Ainsworth_,_ these are the candidates for next week's marriage meeting. Please let me know your choice in two days."_

But as they say, the best way to start, is from the beginning.

That would be earlier on that day.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … …

"I wonder if Rittan slept well last night?"

This is how Misaki had drops the bomb on Sunday morning, cheeky grin in place.

The morning had begun peacefully, with only Sorata, Mashiro, Misaki (who liked to visit on weekends) and Ryuunosuke himself, being present. Nanami was busy and wouldn't be back until evening and Jin was going to drop in later.

In the midst of the quiet chatter and food, Ryuunosuke had found himself relaxing, thinking that his usually trouble making friends were going to let him have a peaceful day, after all.

Then Misaki had innocently shattered the peace before the storm.

And had managed to turn his world upside down in the process.

As the question hangs in the air, Ryuunosuke feels himself pause in the middle of taking another sip from his teacup. He looks at Misaki in disbelief, wondering for a brief second, if , he has heard her wrong. But then disagrees against his own thoughts.

There's no way he can make such a mistake in the case of someone who likes to throw herself at him every chance she gets and is a potential threat to his life. And pride.

"Ri-Rittan?" He curses himself mentally, for stuttering. He's merely repeating Misaki's nickname for her, after all. No need to be uneasy. "By that, do you mean the former freeloader?"

"Obviously!" Misaki says, or rather, shouts. Seriously, this girl is too energetic for her own good. "That is my special nickname for her and only her! Like Dragon is Dragon, Rittan is Rittan!"

How is that even related to his question?

Ryuunosuke chooses not to comment on her warped sense of logic but to concentrate on her words instead. That must mean...

The enemy is already in the premises?!

Nobody even told him to get the guns ready!

"She's here?" he asks, trying to calm his voice, because it sounds panicked to his own ears. There is no reason to be scared, he 'programmes' himself. Be calm.

Secretly, he wonders if this is meant to be a surprise visit just for him.

Yes, that small feeling is curiosity and not hope. It is not hope.

His reasoning makes perfect sense, he hastily covers for himself, mentally. After all, hadn't she come to Japan for Valentine's day, just to visit him? Although, he cringes, that visit hadn't gone that well and had ended with him disappointing her in the end. She had left immediately after that, leaving behind a letter and a box of chocolates. And a turmoil of emotions in his heart.

He remembers the sound of her voice through the door, teasing, yet honest. He remembers his own voice, rejecting all of her attempts. He remembers the uneasy beating of his heart after the other side of his door had gotten strangely silent. And the small twinge of disappointment at the sight of the empty hallway.

_She has given up , after all_, he remembers his own brain reasoning, _now I am finally safe._

And yet, his heart had skipped a beat at the sight of the letter and the wraped box.

He still had that letter in his room, somewhere. He wasn't insensitive enough to throw away someone's feelings, was he? So, he had kept it.

_Is that all there is to it? _Yes.

He still remembers the last line of the letter.

"_That kiss at the airport was my first kiss."_

And mine too, he thinks.

But all of this didn't change the fact that she was as annoying as hell. She kept making dangerous moves on him. It was the same repeating cycle, always. Her coming on to him, him fainting. Or atleast him being freaked out.

So he should just ignore all these unnecessary emotions, right?

"You didn't hear her coming in last night?" Sorata's voice brings him back, reminding him of the current problem at hand. Yes, there was a possible danger to his life. He should concentrate on that. "She was pretty loud."

How typical of her.

Now that he thinks about it, he vaguely remembers a few sounds at the door, last night. But he had been busy programming and so had deemed the noises as those of one or the other tenants coming in. They did tend to come in later than usual from whatever they had been doing then. Sakurasou was famous for it's weirdness, wasn't it?

So, it had been her. How careless of him to not pay it any heed.

But then again, it was surprising she hadn't immediately barged into his room and pounced on him. She knew he stayed up late.

But that is good...right? Then why does it make him feel...so uneasy?

"So that...you guys knew she was going to come?!" he shouts, looking at them in shock. What kind of friends were they?!

_F-Friends?! I-I suppose we are friends..but still, what a weird thought...well, I am glad they don't know what I just thought. How embarrassing would that be?_

"Rita had called me earlier and told me," Mashiro says, voice devoid of emotion as usual. "She said she had finished her last painting and needed a vacation. She was very excited. My ears hurt even after I had hung up the phone.

"Well, I am glad they are ok now," Sorata says, patting her on the head, affectionately.

Ryuunosuke sighs at the supposed display of affection, shaking his head. Why were his friends so oblivious? Didn't they think there was something wrong with the freeloader's behaviour?

"D-Dragon! Don't look at us with those boastful eyes! That's mean." Misaki pouts, glaring at him in retaliation. He ignores her and rests his head on the table, his thoughts catching up to him.

_N-Not that it's because I am worried or anything...I mean, my safety's at stake here! Yeah, that's all there is to it..._

Maybe Maid-chan had blocked her email? He had told her to, after all.

Whatever it was, it probably was because she probably because had some tricks up her sleeve. It was probably another trap for him.

Yes, that was probably it.

But this time, he wouldn't be fooled that easy!

"But...didn't she tell you?" Now, Sorata sounds confused as well. "I expected you to be the first one to know."

_Now that you finally mention it, it is weird...obviously_!

"What was it, Dragon?" Misaki asks, grinning from ear to ear. "Are you worried about her losing interest in you? Now that you mention it, Mashiro said she didn't mention you on he phone, either. Looks like the lovestruck girl has finally gotten tired of chasing after a younger guy!"

He glares at her, whether it's because of her teasing or because of what she has said, he doesn't know. But it's not like it would affect him, whatsoever.

He is gynophobic, for God's sake.

And yet, somewhere in his heart, his relief feels forced.

"Now, now, Misaki-senpai," Sorata says, trying to be the peacemaker as usual. "I am sure he is just glad that he has Rita-san off his back. Isn't that right?"

It takes him full three seconds to take in Sorata's question in his dazed state, but when he does, he nods. It is an automatic reaction, already set. "Yeah. I am glad I finally got rid of the former freeloader." he says, turning is face away in a 'that's obvious' reaction.

His eyes soften the moment his face is out of their sight.

He hopes his voice does not sound as forced as it does to his own ears

On second thought, there is probably something wrong with his own ears.

Sorata chuckles and Ryuunosuke watches as Misaki glares at him, while Mashiro just continues eating her cereals.

_How irritating..._

It wasn't like he hates her or anything. Even when he had been annoyed by her, he had been somewhat grateful. She was the one who had made him realise the importance of his friends and had encouraged him to help protect his dorm. She hadn't judged him when Maid-chan had told her about his past. But telling her all this would just encourage her to pursue him even more.

But all of that had made him realise how right she could be about him. That she was starting to get it.

She had started to understand him.

And that was beyond scary.

"Rita's here," Mashiro says suddenly, as if she's announcing the weather.

He almost jumps, but manages to turn around calmly, teeth gritted.

And sees that annoying and pretty face he hasn't in months.

Rita Ainsworth stands in front of him, blond hair flowing down her shoulders. Her blue eyes twinkle with amusement, making him wonder how long she has been standing there. She looks the same as she did the last time they had met.

Her lips will probably feel the same too.

He bites his lip in annoyance, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks at the thought, shaking his head slightly to get rid of the indecency. Surely, it must be contagious.

This person has been in his thoughts way too much.

His eyes return to her face. She isn't looking at him, but at the people behind him. He inwardly frowns when he feels her eyes travel past him.

It all just feels so frustrating.

"Hello, Ryuunosuke." She smiles at him, like always and walks towards him. He gasps and is crouches a bit, reflexively, protecting himself from the glomping that is sure to follow. His eyes close and he cringes in anticipation.

He counts to three and nothing happens.

He cracks open one eye, confused.

"Dragon?" comes Misaki's inquiring voice.

He turns around and sees that Rita has already taken her place beside Sorata. He frowns.

_Wait- what just happened, right now?_

"It's nothing." he says, because that's how it should be.

"It's been a while, ne, Ryuunosuke?" Rita says, cheerfully.

"Y-Yeah."

And now comes the flirting, he thinks.

But she just turns away, starting a conversation with Sorata, who complies.

He wonders if she is drunk. Because, this is definitely weird.

_Since we last met, huh..._

He feels his cheeks grow warm at the memories that rise.

_["Planning more indecency?!"_

_"What's so indecent about a handshake?"_

_"A handshake, huh? Alright..."]_

Innocently, he had offered her his hand. Nothing wrong with a handshake, he had thought.

Oh, how wrong he had been.

Before he had even been able to comprehend her actions, he had felt himself being pulled, followed by the pressure on his lips and his surprised gasp.

He had felt dizzy as they had crashed to the floor but hadn't told any of them that he hadn't actually fainted completely.

He had been aware, his heart drumming in his ears.

And he had prayed that no one would notice the slight smile on his face he hadn't been able to get rid of, no matter how many times he tried.

It looked like his own heart wasn't as pure as he had deemed it to be.

It hadn't felt that good or anything. He hadn't disliked it, but still. It wasn't like he liked her or anything. Hell, these probably aren't even his thoughts. Probably Misaki had put something in his food. He glares at the giggling girl out of the corner of his eyes.

But...

He wouldn't ever admit it to anyone, but he hadn't slept a wink that night. He had figured that he wouldn't be able to run away from it any longer and so it was better to make a decision. Or she would just annoy him even more.

So he had thought about it the whole night. Needless to say, he had been incredibly annoyed and cranky the next morning. And so, as revenge, had told Maid-chan to block her emails.

No need of any unnesscecarry distractions, had been his decision.

The next time he met her, he had assumed, the would talk. She would start the conversation as always and maybe, he would be a little more honest.

But, he thinks, glancing at her across the table, _this_ isn't what he had in mind.

Under his irritated gaze, Rita seems to be unaffected. She is busy giggling at something Sorata has said, not even sparing him a glance.

_N-Not that I care, but I have to admit..._

Rita clasps her hands together, leaning forward, body shaking with excitement. "That sounds like fun!"

He can see Sorata's eyes travel lower and the blush that crawls over his face.

_This is kind of annoying..._.

After all, he had went out of his way to consider something ridiculous and here she was, not even looking like she cared in the slightest. After all his efforts, this was what he got?

_You know..you are ..kind of.._

So very unfair.

He stands up, slamming his bowl on the table in the process of doing so. His face remais placid, having had years of practice.

Sorata looks at him, worried.

Mashiro's emotionless eyes bore holes in his head.

Misaki glares at him, angrily.

"Milk." he says, in a deadly low tone.

He walks up to the fridge, feeling the stares on him. He ignores them, like the cool guy that he is. Nothing small like this will bother him. They should trust him on that.

He is fine. Perfectly. Not bothered in the slightest.

When he comes back to the table, Rita seems to be teasing Sorata, a finger placed on his lips. He remembers being put in that kind of situation by her many times.

_Poor Sorata..._.

That's what he should think.

_Damn you, Sorata..._

Is what he thinks instead.

He drags his chair back, slamming the glass of water on the table, spilling some of it's contents, eyebrow twitching for the slightest second. "It," he says, his voice calm, strangely calm. "would be better if you ate your breakfast without making others uncomfortable, freeloader."

Then he sits down.

Yep, perfectly alright.

Rita blinks at him in confusion.

"It's rude." Just that much is justifiable, he thinks.

Sorata looks as if he would like to give him a sympathetic pat on his back.

Mashiro _drills_ holes into his head.

Misaki looks as if she would love to smash his head against the table.

He shakes his head to clear away the foreign thoughts present in his mind. It is the truth after all, even if it isn't what he had in mind.

"I found a heart shaped cereal." Mashiro says, breaking the silence, raising her spoon.

Her dull voice breaks the ice and the splintering sound echoes.

Rita responds with nervous laughter, apologizing to Sorata. Misaki playfully pets Mashiro, giving him a look that says: "I'll deal with you later." And so, conversation falls back to normal.

And for the slightest moment he wonders if the one feeling uncomfortable is Sorata...or him?

A slight pang of something hits his chest.

He ignores it.

… … … … … … … … … … …

Then of course, he had found the envelope, lying on the table in her room. He had walked in because the light had been on and no one had been present.

But what he had seen instead.. was this.

_What in the world...is this?_

… … … … … … … … … … … … …

Three days later, he and Mashiro are the only ones present for dinner. Sorata and Nanami are busy and Rita...is in her room getting ready.

Some function, she had said.

And out of nowhere, he suddenly remembers the paper envelope.

Usually, he would be happy if it was just him and the other quiet member of Sakurasou for dinner. Much more peaceful and less crazy. Mashiro wouldn't chatter and he could eat in a proper manner.

But right now, with his thoughts eating him up, he could have welcome any kind of distraction.

This is troublesome. Very.

From the first time that she had declared an interest in him, he had rejected her advances. Told her to stop, even. He had hated woman after all and this type of behaviour made him uncomfortable.

But he had got the same feeling when she had ignored him.

He supposed that it is because of the fact that he had gotten used to it till a certain extent and suddenly, things were different from normal again, just like the first time.

Sure, living at Sakurasou means life isn't exactly normal and chaos is on the menu everyday. He has gotten used to it. He has actually come to like it, to some extent.

Yet, he could just burn down the whole dorm right now.

All because of that stupid outsider.

How frustuating.

Ever since he had developed gynophobia, he had always been alone, with no one but his AI for company. That had been fine with him. Until he had stupidly lectured Rita Ainsworth about her honesty regarding Mashiro Shiina. She had ran away, upset, and he had thought that she would be pretty angry with him. But she had surprised him by saying that she had developed an interest in him. He had backed away, uncomfortable and she had taken the challenge.

And all hell had broken loose.

Whatever she did, it annoyed him. Whether it be trying to seduce him or ignore him.

"Shiina, where is the former freeloader going today?" the words slip out before he can contol them and he bites his lower lip.

He knows that Mashiro must have been told not to tell him anything.

But...

"It is a marriage meeting," she says, looking at him blankly. And then, "Rita told me not to tell you." She adds, as if it's an afterthought.

But thank God she is tactless.

"So, that's the real reason she's here?"

"..."

"Shiina?"

"I don't know."

That must be it, though. No surprise visit for him then.

"I like Rita." Mashiro says, suddenly.

He looks at her in surprise, wondering why she's telling him this.

"I like Rita." She says, again. "I want her to be happy."

"Shiina-"

"Rita won't be happy if Ryuunosuke isn't with her."

His eyes widen and he gapes at her, blushing furiously. "Wh-what?"

"Rita won't be happy if-"

"I heard you! I just...look if she's going to the meeting, that means she has given up on me." The words leave a mettalic taste in his mouth.

"That's because Ryuunosuke didn't reply to her mail."

_Wait..what?!_

"What mail?"

"Rita sent an mail to everyone about this. Ryuunosuke didn't reply. So she agreed."

So, this was all because of his stupid orders to Maid-chan? Yes, he had told her to block her mails but he had thought that she reviewed the mails before blocking them. So any mail important should be received...

Any mail she thought was important to him. Even though she knew he would care, just a bit, he had been rather firm when he had given her the order. Blame the all-nighter.

But, that did make sense. After all, he had always been the one running away. Why would he care about some stupid marriage meeting?

But he did and so, this whole misunderstanding had been unnecessary.

_All my fault..._

He bends his head, sulking. If only, he had been honest. If only, he had said something.

Mashiro raises her fist in the air. "Go, go, kiss her," she says in a dead tone, looking both serious and ridiculous at the same time.

He looks up, sputtering. "Sh-Shiina!"

"Misaki told me to add that."

He sweatdrops. "Ofcourse."

Had they all noticed except him?

_"I hope you'll keep getting along with Rittan forever_!"

Of course they had.

He needed to get some air. He stands up, shaking his head. Ignoring his half eaten dinner, he makes his way out.

"I am going outside for a bit. And Shiina, th-thanks." he says, hesitating only for a moment.

She nods.

And for a moment, he can swear that those usually set lips turn up slightly, for a second.

He'll be seeing pink elephants next.

"Ryuunosuke."

He turns at the sound of his name. Mashiro is standing up, arms outstretched.

"Misaki told me to give you a goodbye hug."

He groans mentally, eyebrow twitching.

"N-No need, Sh-Shiina..." he gulps as she advances, mentally shivering.

He walks away.

In reality, he runs for his life.

And his last thought is along the lines of...

_Even quiet girls like Shiina are capable of being evil, it appears._

… … … … … … … … … … … … …

It appears as if lady luck is on his side, after all.

The moment he steps out, he sees the source of his problems gazing at the full moon visible in the night sky. Her back is to him, and as he tends to be a quiet person inlike his dorm-mates, she doesn't notice his entrance.

He can see that she is dressed up formally. A long dark blue skirt and a black blazer, her shirt not visible to him. Her blonde hair contrasts the dark colour of her clothes. Her eyes probably will too.

And yes, he is getting off topic here.

"Alright!" she says, squeezing her fists tightly. "For the last time."

His sharp ears catch the little sadness present in the words. He watches as she takes a deep breath, shoulders quivering. She straightens her self, prepared for whatever it is that she's going to do.

"I am in love Ruunosuke," she says. "I...love Akasaka Ryuunosuke!" she shouts this part, shoulders heaving.

And somewhere in between, he realises that she means every word of it.

S-Shit...

And he just stands there, mouth open in shock and embarrassment..and maybe a tiny bit of shyness. He wonders if this is what people mean by 'having one's breath knocked out of their body'.

Because his lungs feel like they have forgotten their function.

_You didn't have to say it like that! You screamed that you wanted my mail address and now you scream that you love me. Don't you care about my pride?!_

"I hope he didn't hear that." she mumbles, her ritual done

Yes I did, he thinks. And so did the whole neighbourhood.

She flicks her hair, sighs and, he realises, she is about to turn around.

_D-Damn..._

He wants to move, but his body betrays him. Perhaps it is the stress he has been carrying for the past three days or maybe it's the tiredness. Either way, it is his own fault. All he can do, is watch in anticipation as she starts to turn, one step closer to seeing him.

Perhaps he is finally tired of running away.

But, if he doesn't move now, she is going to see him. And in such little time.

It is impossible to regain his facade.

And just as he is mentally at war with his body, it happens.

She turns around. And their eyes meet.

Hers are as wide saucers. His, he has no idea.

"R-Ryuunosuke."

And suddenly he feels sick. Maybe it's because of the tension or because of her words; whatever the reason, he is feeling sick. Suddenly, the confession and the letter both replay themselves in his mind, at the same time, and he finds himself getting angry. And confused. Angry at her for doing one thing and then saying another. Angry at her for starting this thing, whatever it is, and leaving it halfway through.

For making this so troublesome when it could have been simple.

And so he grabs her wrist, pulling her along.

"R-Ryuunosuke..you are holding my wrist."

"What about it?"

"Umm...you have gynophobia."

His brow twitches.

_To hell with that._

… … … … … … … … … … …

Apparently, grabbing her wrist had drained all of his confidence.

Right now, they sat in his room, slient like they had been since the last fifteen minutes.

He wonders what he should say. His head feels heavy on is knees and it's uncomfortable. Things were better before, he wants to say. I miss them, he did not want to say.

But he is scared that if he opens his mouth, the latter will come out.

So he chokes the words down.

"Hey, Ryuunosuke...I have to go somewhere."

He ignores her, burrying his head deeper in his arms. He opens his mouth to tell her to keep quiet.

"Isn't it troublesome?" is was he says instead.

_At least now, you will say yes._

His companion's silence bothers him.

_Hey, say it._

"Why don't you agree?" He doesn't bother to hide the frustration in his voice. He is past his limit. If there ever was one.

"...Ryuunosuke, forget what I said before, ok?" Her voice is uncertain, as if she is not sure how to deal with him.

He plans to ignore this as well, but the question slips.

"Why?"

"Huh?" She sounds surprised, as if not expecting this reaction.

"Why do you want me to forget it?"

In htis peripheral vision, he catches her wistful smile.

"Because it is troublesome for you, isn't it?"

If he wasn't annoyed enough, he certainly is now.

_You_-_!_

He sits up, glaring at her, directly. This is going to end. He wants his peace of mind back from this outsider who has snatched it away, forcefully.

"Why do you have to use that stupid brain of yours? I am the smart one here. I am a programmer, am I not? So, don't do such stupid things. At first, I thought it would be god to go through with this. So, I tried to go along, but I just...that was troublesome,but this is even more troublesome. It's so frustrating!" He coughs having said all that in one breath, and just like that, the anger melts away.

The glare is gone now, replaced by a more vulnerable look

"For the first time, I just want the truth." He mumbles, and regrets the moment he speaks.

_W-Way to honest..._

He waves his hands furiously, wanting to cover up.

"L-Look, it's not like I.. l-like you, or anything. This all just caught me by surprise..." he stutters in his embarrassment, wanting to bury a hole and crawl into it. He avoids looking at her, keeping his face turned away. "I just said it so you'd get it. N-Not for your sake, or anything. I just felt it. I couldn't help it!"

It had always been simple. He had run away from her at the start because it really had been annoying. But later, it had been to hide his embarrassment. That's how simple it had been. And she couldn't figure it out, so he had gotten annoyed.

He just hopes she won't touch him or do anything similarly ridiculous. If she did, he would brush her off. Because if she even got a little bit closer...

_I am gonna turn red for sure._

He hopes she says something soon. If this silence goes on, he doesn't know what else he was going to end up saying. Probably something embarrassing. Frankly, he has had enough of honesty for today.

"Why are you still listening?!"

"...Thank you."

The soft whisper makes his eyes widen and he looks at her, against his better judgment, regretting the action as soon as he does it. Because she is looking at him, really looking at him, for the first time in three days and the first thought that comes to his mind is...

_Light..._

Because she just looks...so happy. And pretty.

And the blood rushes to his cheeks, right on cue.

"D-Don't get the wrong idea, former freeloader." He desperately wants to end this moment, but another part of him, the honest one he has just discovered, wants to freeze it instead. Self-contradiction.

She giggles, and the sound echoes inside the room. "How did you know about the meeting?" she asks, ignoring his previous statement.

He frowns and blushes at the same time. "I-I just happened to be passing by your room, and saw them. By mistake!"

"And...you didn't like the candidates?"

"...Bugs."

She laughs. "And what gave you that impression?"

"I am a programmer. An expert programmer recognizes the virus at sight itself."

She smiles adoringly at him, shaking her head in amusement. "Of course."

"I didn't receive the mail..Maid-chan blocked it. I told her to do so, some time back, due to some circumstances."

If she is curious about his answer, Rita doesn't let it show. "It's ok.."

"So you are not going?" he asks, a bit anxious.

"Heh, no. I am actually quite late, so...And I don't want to leave Ryuunosuke alone when things are getting romantic!" she squeals, hands clasping together.

_And she's back to being indecent. Did I unintentionally create a bigger monster?_

She leans forward and wraps her arms lightly around him, almost as if she isn't really touching him. He hair feels soft against his face.

He doesn't faint. Heck, he doesn't even feel dizzy.

"Sorata-kun.." she whispers into his ear. "..told me that there is a fireworks festival next week. Let's make it our first date."

_D-Don't whisper into my ear like this...such indecency.._.

"..I haven't even said yes to going out yet..." he mutters, and it is a lost cause.

"You've said enough."

And he doesn't argue.

He realises how little the distance between their bodies is, and pushes her back, practically feeling the steam coming out of his ears.

She giggles. "So then, Ryuunosuke, how about a handshake?"

His blush flares, and he feels himself nod, fully aware of the meaning behind the words. "A handshake?" He tries imitating the first time he had said those words. "O-Ok, I guess."

She grins, playfully and leans forward. Her hands brush against his cheeks, teasing. He closes his eyes, preparing himself.

"I like you, Ryuunosuke. Very much."

He gulps. Here it comes.

And then, her lips are brushing against his and he feels a bit dizzy, maybe he really does have a serious case of gynophobia. And then, all of a sudden, it's over.

He blinks at her in confusion.

"Let's just give you want you can handle, for now, ok?" she says, smiling.

He glares at her and huffs, looking away.

He wonders, briefly, if the slight feeling in his chest is something that falls in the 'like' category. Maybe he should ask her.

But then again, he thinks, looking at her. She probably already knows, doesn't she?

He considers smiling. Then decides against it.

Too much encouragement.

He looks at his computer screen, and sees Maid-chan peeking out. She gives him an apologetic smile.

This time, a brief smile really does appear.

Her lips, for the brief moment, had tasted like vanilla. Just like her personality. His were probably bitter then, he muses, inwardly groaning.

Then the kiss was like salt in vanilla.

This kind of hopeless fate...will undoubtedly...lead to love.

Someday..

… … … … … … … … … … …

Meanwhile..somewhere in Japan:

_"So did you do it Mashiron?"_

_"Yes, Misaki."_

_"And the hug?"_

_"He ran away."_

_"..Oh.."_

_"It was fun to watch."_

_"You know...you're kind of mean...Mashiron." _

_(Evil laughter echoes)_

_… … … … … … … … …_

And that's that!

I hope you guys liked it! Sorry if I made any mistakes!

Reviews are most welcome!


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